The Year Ends - The World Did Not.

December 21, 2012 came and left..  we are all still here.
I dare not complain that Hurricane Sandy took the wind out of my sails. 10 days without power is practically nothing in comparison to the devastation so many others sustained. However, being in darkness for that length of time did help me realize the importance of things that matter.
Shortly thereafter, I "read" the audio-book "First things First" by the late Dr. Stephen Covey. Although it is covered as one of the 7 Habits, the book dives deeper into what it means to manage your time. No - not building a schedule and deadlines. It is more about being focused.
Therefore... I will focus on what matters now. Enjoying New Years eve with family :)
See you next year!

All the best for 2013!!

Excuses, excuses...

Where is my blog entry?
Other than busy, I have no excuse... oh.. Got a new smart phone-finally! Which I am using to make this entry. So, yes... I have been "busy"... ;)
I should have started posting on the "8th Habbit" by now.
However, I have been listening to so many audio books recently, I am trying to sort it all out.
One book in particular has my noodle baking. After hearing about it so much, and finally getting my hands on the audio book.. I started listening to "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. I can't even start to explain what an interesting "paradigm shift" that book is. It really challenges you to think very differently. The one thing that Always bothered me about it was the "grow rich" aspect. Why must it always be about riches? Money.. I can't help but remember that you cannot serve two masters.
I do not see myself chasing after money or wealth just for its sake. I would want to do something with it that is meaningful. Something that would help others. It would have to align with my conscience. Either way, I want to read it with an open mind. I believe it has a lot of merit. I know I can learn something from it that can help me help others.... and that is something that will always align with my conscience.

A Little of a Lot

August just got away from me.

What it feels like sometimes...
check out the other neat pictures where I found this here. 

Last month I meant to do a "little" entry about a lot that I had learned recently. The month went by amazingly fast. This entry had been a "Draft" for weeks. And, now - six days into September - I realize it was going to be another "typical" entry. Yes, boring. After all this time, I'm coming to notice much of this great stuff can come across as boring. Yes, this may be the last boring entry. Really? I am planning to adopt a more "entertaining" approach to personal development. Please stay tuned!

Cats on Radio :-) On a Tshirt!

So, why am I doing this? For me, the best way to learn is to teach. In my case, share what I learn...
Or at least type it and attempt to share. I really have learned an huge deal these past few months. However, in order for me to share it properly - I need to make it entertaining. The material is extremely interesting and life-changing stuff. It requires more than just to read. It requires to be taught. Which is great, since sharing is the best way for me to assimilate information.

Fly Wheel! Fly!

I think I am finally coming to the end of the book! It's taken me a whole year. Yep. I started my first blog entry on Good to Great on June 30th, 2011. I am uncertain as to where time goes, but a whole year went in a flash. Good to Great touches on great concepts, but I feel like it stays just on or below the surface. As I bring the book to a close, I started reading The 8th Habit (Effectiveness to Greatness). As most of us know from the 7 Habits, Dr. Covey doesn't do on the surface. Getting ready for a deep-dive into real root-causes and looking forward to comparing & contrasting with Good to Great.

As we already know, the last chapter in Good to Great is called "The Flywheel and the Doom Loop". I had decided to cover the Doom Loop first (for obvious reasons). To be honest, I could barely finish the chapter because I had a feeling I knew where it was going. But you may not know where I am going with the Flywheel below, so you may want to keep reading.

Ferrari GT4 Flywheel. Shiny.

The Loop of Doom

Sounds like a cool, new roller-coaster ride! Or at least that special part of the ride where every passenger's screams pitch in horror and delight. Not too long ago, I would travel to neighboring amusement parks in search such thrills. It is one of the few (and perhaps only) places where going up, down and all around, is welcomed and expected. How about at work? According to the latest chapter in Good to Great, there are two types of "loops". No, Fruit Loops(R) isn't one of them.

Although we can all attest that there are some in every workplace. These "loops" I speak of are the "Flywheel" and the "Doom Loop". I have chosen to focus this entry on the Doom Loop for two reasons:
1) It sounds cool
2) I can relate to it

I'll talk about the "Flywheel" next time. After all, its almost self-explanatory and "goody-goody".

Doom! Sounds like something worth reading and writing about.
Anyone know Dr. Doom?

Those who may not know him will wonder if he spent 8 years in Doom school.

Interesting thing about this loop, it's almost like the chicken and the egg dilemma. Not sure which one comes first, and you can almost start anywhere and lead to the next thing.

• New Direction, program, leader, event, fad or acquisition (ex: suddenly 6sigma)
• No buildup, no accumulated momentum (demotivation from the reality of things)
• Disappointing Results (no?)
• Reaction, without understanding (normal human response - along with denial)

A Doom Loop designed for headaches

Funny how like it's similar to how a reactive person would live their life. Using technique or fad to try to further themselves in life or carrier. Fail, disappointment and then go into denial or defensiveness. Which would lead to poor results, and then "try again" instead of trying to re-build oneself from the inside-out. But that would take actual effort and time.

I suppose it's the path of least resistance. It is always easier to slap a new coat of paint on a house or wax the car before a sale. But what about the stuff under the surface? I may sound sarcastic by saying this, but most of us do not have time for that. Individual people nor corporations. Flying by the seat of our pants gives us the "thrills" we seek. Usually ending in headaches. If... if we only did do "1st things 1st" as in the 3rd Habit (see my post on that here) we would set the time aside to build ourselves up and avoid headaches.

In addition to the awesome adrenaline rush, there is something amazing about a mechanical system designed solely for that purpose.

A Loop Of Doom designed for Fun! :-D

In my next entry, I will end "Good to Great" with the Flywheel and a summary of the book.
In the entries to follow, I may actually start going in a completely different direction. Maybe even put this blog on "hold" and focus on the "common thread" behind personal leadership, health and our legacies. I know it sounds deep, but the truth is that it is all linked together and there is a balance in life that shouldn't be ignored. All I can say is "stay tuned". :-)

The Right Tools

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but not me. Not yet. I am always curious to understand how things work. Not too long ago, almost any appliance in the house was fair game in my pursuit of understanding inner workings. Radios, VCRs, vacuum cleaners, etc . Yes, this involved taking the devices apart, looking inside and how the parts fit and then putting it back together. The question of whether it would work after was not a question at all. It just had to. However, when taking things apart, having the right tools made all the difference.

In Jim Collin's Good to Great, the Chapter on "Technology Accelerators" made me remember how having the right tools, makes a difference. In this case, for the right reasons. I know many of us are more than ready to jump on the next gizmo and/or gadget that looks cool & technologically advanced to brag about. Who stops to think whether or not it will would really enhances us - as an individual. Who cares. It looks cool.

Needs to be a phone too...  

From viewpoint of a corporation, "cool" doesn't cut it. The technology must accomplish a task that propels them forward providing more momentum already established. That is, according to the book, if you've made it this far: the company already has all the momentum from having all the level 5 leaders with the "right people on the bus" confronting the brutal facts with the hedgehog concept all figured out along with the discipline to follow it. Deep breath.

What was interesting of the chapter is that it puts technology in its place. That is, companies that are great will use it as a tool - not the defining factor. However, does that apply to companies whose business is being on-top of the latest technology? :-P
Furthermore, the chapter elaborates on "how companies react" to technology says a lot about them. Either they fear it or embrace it depending on how they adhere to their hedgehog concept (if they even have one).

I can't wait to read the next chapter: The "Flywheel and Doom Loop". I like the title because I have the funny feeling most companies operate in the "doom loop".  In my humble opinion, it's the path of least resistance. It's flying by the seat of our pants. No time to structure things since you're always putting out fires. I suppose in some cases it justifies our existence in the "daily grind".

Discipline: A Hate-Love Relationship

I finally finished the chapter on "A Culture of Discipline" from Good to Great. In the end, I liked it a lot. Took me a while to get through the 1st half though. What was neat is how everything that was read up to this point was tied together. Maybe the negative feelings about the word "discipline" made me drag my feet. Sadly, the word reminds me of those grammar school days and the people who made me feel inferior. :-/

Discipline (as a process)

School. Harboring some of my least-favorite memories. Not because I didn't like learning. Trust me, I'd give up any one of my adult days for one of those care-free school days. However, I can't help but frown sometimes about school because it felt like I was constantly being told what to do and how to do it. Especially, how to behave. Needless to say, if you did something that was outside of the guidelines, you'd be facing some type of "disciplinary action". As we get older and wiser, we realize it was for our own good.  What can seem difficult is how to re-incorporate discipline in life. Not because others tell you to - but because you choose to.

No Whey?

After a nice 2-month break from blogging , I figure I'd get back into it. And back to dragging myself through "Good to Great". Half-way through the book... and half-way through the chapter on "Culture of Discipline". I had to take a pause from reading the chapter for two reasons. One - I had to do this entry since I've been such a slacker these past two months. Two - I had to do some online research over the "Rinsing your cottage cheese" section of the chapter. :-D
I promise to give an insightful entry soon on the full chapter. Right now, I need to get my thoughts on this screen.
So - how does "rinsing cheese" fit into a chapter about Discipline?! Quite a bit actually. I had trouble understanding it at first. After reading it, I agreed... Reluctantly. No doubt, if you are so disciplined as to "rid extra fat" (whether it is true I'm still not sure) from your cottage cheese by rinsing it - I suppose you do deserve to win Ironman Triathlon... six times.

NOT THIS IronMan.. .Cool Though.

There's a ton of training that goes into it which cannot be belittled. However, the cheese thing had me shaking my head. So - how much fat could that really be? (Especially if its "low fat" already) Not to mention if you're already doing a ton of training you're probably burning that in your sleep. ;-)